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As this edition of Every Child goes to press, the National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy is drawing to a close. In our guest statement, Federal Minister for Education, Brendan Nelson, points out that the good literacy outcomes for most Australian children are no comfort to those who can’t read. And he is right. He also says that good early childhood programs have positive and lasting effects on later learning, and nowhere is this more true than in literacy. Reading has its foundations in language and literacy experiences in the early years.
Early childhood educators in preschools and child care centres have a key role in preparing children for early reading and writing. With so many young children spending so much time in child care centres, it is our responsibility to build rich literacy and numeracy environments that pave the way for school literacy learning.
There is a considerable ‘readiness’ gap between children with well-developed early literacy skills and those with limited preschool literacy experiences. Central to quality literacy experiences is the quality of early childhood settings and the professionalism of staff.
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Part of the quality agenda is a growing interest in professional standards. Registration for early childhood educators is now a reality in parts of Canada and New Zealand.
In Australia, all states except the ACT now have teacher registration and standards acts. Central to these acts is the welfare, care and education of children, recognition and enhancement of teacher professionalism, and the advancement of teacher knowledge and practice. While the acts apply to teachers in preschools that are part of school systems, they don’t apply to early childhood services outside the school system. But should they?
With community concerns about the quality of early childhood care and education at an all time high, would it be prudent to investigate a system of regulation and professional standards for early childhood educators?
Registration schemes can provide a strong qualifications framework that is controlled by the profession. They can ensure quality induction programs for people entering the profession, and provide a gatekeeping and professional learning function that strengthens professionalism – and quality.
However, in an area of strong growth and staff shortages such as early childhood care and education, registration can be a double-edged sword. Increasing the status and professionalism of early childhood education enhances it as an employment option and better ensures quality outcomes for children, but it also increases costs to governments and consumers. Employing ‘professionals’ is expensive. Whether our communities are ready to pay for this is debatable. But registration and ‘professionalism’ don’t necessarily go hand in hand.
Child care and preschools have always had quality carers and educators who have provided sensitive and stimulating environments for young children. But there is much room for improvement and a growing need to ensure that quality is not compromised by rapid expansion of the sector.
Professional standards provide a means to document and benchmark best practice. They make clear statements about standards to parents and the community. They enable the profession to better prepare practitioners and monitor and evaluate practice.
Many early childhood educators who are qualified teachers are eligible for registration with state-based teacher registration authorities. To find out if you are eligible, go to the teacher registration website in your state. Today’s teacher registration is based mostly on a ‘standards’ approach. In Australia, there is a National Framework for Professional Standards agreed to by the ministers of education in 2003. Link to this document.
Professional standards are developed and agreed to by the relevant educational communities. They can then be used as a basis for teacher registration. More importantly, they are used to improve, analyse and evaluate practice; plan for professional development; provide a clear public statement about ethics and practice; and develop, monitor and evaluate pre-employment preparation courses (degrees and diplomas) leading to relevant awards.
Today, early childhood is one of few professional areas—if indeed it is a ‘profession’—without registration for practitioners. Yet it is widely agreed that standards-based professional registration helps improve practice, articulate public expectations of practice, and provide a framework for self-regulation.
If we do eventually go down the professional standards and registration track, the standards would likely be used to approve or endorse early childhood education and care courses.
A focus on quality is not new in the early childhood sector, and strategies to enhance professionalism and provision for young children have been central to many presentations at the recent national Early Childhood Australia Biennial Conference in Brisbane.
Over the next two editions of Every Child we’ll bring you a taste of the issues and research at the national conference.
With nationwide interest in improving literacy for all children, this issue of Every Child highlights literacy learning. Each of our writers on literacy has a unique perspective, but all focus on improving literacy learning for all children – especially for the most vulnerable and most at-risk learners.
Alison Elliott
Editor
Every Child
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